“What is business architecture?”, a client asked me the other day. [tweetmeme source=”EmunaConsulting” only_single=false]

Business architecture is a profession and artifacts. A business architect is the professional who create the designs, models and frameworks also known as artifacts.

The Object Management Group‘s define business architecture as: “A blueprint of the enterprise that provides a common understanding of the organization and is used to align strategic objectives and tactical demands.”

Business architecture articulate the enterprise in terms of what, how, where, who, when and why as the Zachman Framework categorize columns.

What – the organization capabilities

How – the business processes

Where – the place where business operates

Who – the organization’s human composition

When – the timing of the events within the organization

Why – the business strategy

Business architecture incorporate all actors internal and external to the organization in the artifacts.

The value business architecture brings to the enterprise is by increasing the organizational effectiveness. It also increase accountability and improve decision-making. The models and maps of the organization’s vision and business strategy achieve this.

This is a short description on business architecture. More posts to follow around business architecture views, business strategy and business architecture frameworks.

According to the enterprise architecture framework, TOGAF the enterprise architecture domains are:

Business

Data

Application

Technology/IT

There are still some folks that believe Information Architecture is separate from Data Architecture.

Keep in mind that Enterprise Architecture spans the complete organization, so each of the domains described below should focus holistic on enterprises.

Business Architecture

Business Architecture focus on creating the plans to make sure the organization operates efficiently.

The EA model and document topics such as business goals, drivers and measures. The organizational structure is diagrammatically modeled and roles and actors defined. At a more functional level the business processes, functions and products etc are documented and modeled.

This is only a very high level excerpt about EA. Each domain is a specialization on its own.

It is clear that this domain has no technology undertone, but focus on business. Hence this domain is not part of IT Architecture domains.